If you still are reading this column, you are a fantasy football junkie and do not want the season to be over, or you are playing in your league championship game. In either case, congratulations are in order. Last week in my league, a playoff game ended in a tie. The tiebreaker was the total points of the bench players. In a Monday Night Football classic fantasy situation, Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards played just well enough to lose the game for his real team and the fantasy owner in my league. I hardly can wait for next season to start! Okay, here are some plays that will maximize your roster during Week 16 of the NFL season.
START ‘EM
Matt Schaub, Texans. The Texans are holding true to form. They play themselves out of contention, then they string a few wins together at the end of the year. Look for them to win again this week against the hapless Raiders. Schaub has the offensive weapons around him—he has a big time receiver, a sure-handed tight end, and a multi-dimensional running back in Steve Slaton. He should have a big day in Oakland.
Cedric Benson, Bengals. Your fantasy playoff game is not the best time to make risky roster moves; but if you are looking for a replacement for Brandon Jacobs or Reggie Bush, Benson is worth a hard look this week. He is coming off a big game last week. He had opportunities in the Bengals’ rushing and receiving attack. Benson’s matchup against Cleveland is great this Sunday.
Pierre Thomas, Saints. Another below-average season for Reggie Bush has paved the way for the emergence of Thomas as the Saints’ starting running back. I am sure Thomas is making Deuce McCallister look old in practice as well. Thomas is the kind of player that is so hot right now, he can lead a fantasy team to a league championship. Look for him to have over 120 yards from scrimmage this week and at least one touchdown.
Tashard Choice, Cowboys. Any running back this has success against the vaunted Steelers’ defense earns respect around the NFL. With Marion Barber still hobbled with a dislocated toe, Choice will start this week. His matchup against the tough Ravens defense is troubling, but the Cowboys are at home, and he is really the only healthy option at running back for O-Coordinator Jason Garrett.
Kevin Curtis, Eagles. Contrary to what that brilliant blonde Kendra from the show “The Girls Next Door” says, Kevin Curtis can catch the fade pass. In fact, he caught a touchdown from Donovan McNabb last week. McNabb is brimming with confidence after Monday night’s win versus Cleveland. The Eagles could have scored several more touchdowns in that game. Against the fading Redskins, look for lots of points from the Eagles and a big fantasy game from Curtis.
SIT ‘EM
Aaron Rodgers, Packers. Rodgers has played heroically this year. He has handled the pressure, played with pain, and performed great under pressure. All of that has not translated into wins for the Packers. Their season is over. If the Bears start quickly in this game, Packers’ backup quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm may see some action for evaluation purposes.
Eli Manning, Giants. This game is another great Sunday night matchup for NBC. The Giants and Panthers still are contending for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Eli deserved his Pro Bowl selection for his performance this season, but the Panthers pass rush has started to dominate games. Eli and the Giants can win this game, but the game shapes up as a low-scoring battle.
Clinton Portis, Redskins. Last week, Portis was simply being himself when he called Coach Jim Zorn a “genius.” After the controversy, I figured he would come out and have a monster game against the Bengals. That didn’t happen. You have to give credit to Portis, though; he will play injured and play through pain. The problem this week is that this is not a very good time to play a surging Eagles team. No touchdowns for Portis this week.
Ronnie Brown, Dolphins. I am not sure how Ronnie Brown made the AFC Pro Bowl team. The Wildcat formation is one of the most fun stories of the year in the NFL, but he has not really played that well except for a few isolated games. The Chiefs’ defense totally shut down LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers for almost 55 minutes of last week’s game. Look for them to contain Brown as well. The final score for this game might be something like 8-5 in favor of the Chiefs.
Santonio Holmes, Steelers. Holmes needs to have a couple of break out games for the Steelers to win games in the playoffs. For some reason, he tends to disappear in road games. Add to that fact that the Titans’ secondary is one of the best in pro football and you have a recipe for a low fantasy scoring game for Holmes. The Titans give up barely eight fantasy points to wide receivers per game which is third best in the league. If the Steelers can get home field in the playoffs, he can make a name for himself this postseason.
Last Week. I finished up the week with five picks correct and five misses. My two best predictions last week were to start Philip Rivers against the Chiefs and to sit Terrell Owens against the Giants. Rivers led a remarkable Chargers comeback by throwing for well over 300 yards. My worst picks were my starting running backs. Ryan Grant and Lendale White had disappointing performances in terrible losses for their teams.
Fantasy Questions? Need line up advice? Leave a comment below or e-mail your questions to me at jck.bender@gmail.com. Good luck this week!
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